"It is absurd to say that this is the best Barcelona team ever"…This was Pep Guardiola’s refuting statement when asked if he thought this was the best Barcelona team in history.

I wasn’t around when Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan, Alfredo Di Stefano led Real Madrid or for that matter Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona were dominating world football, but I can certainly say that in my era as a football fan, I have never seen any team play scintillating football week in and week out.

This influential style of Barcelona’s play dominance is the reward for years of hard work brought in by Barcelona’s former manager Cruyff and inherited by Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. The team feeds on the rich chemistry amongst its players namely Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Busquets Puyol, Pique and Dani Alves.

What goes on behind close doors is something we’ll have to wait for but certainly what are the bosses at FC Barcelona thinking? How can they afford to see Dani Alves leave?

The rift seems to be Dani Alves’ contract talks. Alves, 27, is out of contract in 2012 but wants a bumper pay hike. Talks have broken down several times with Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu warning that he would not break the wage structure of the squad.

I would love to see Barcelona improve his contract and put forth a worthwhile offer, not the crazy money Dani Alves wants something that would make him stay at the club.

On Dani’s part, I do not know how he could possibly want to leave a brilliant Barcelona side for Manchester City who cannot offer Champions League football with no guarantees next season either.

With no immediate replacement available if he does happen to leave this winter Barcelona would be the eventual losers. Fingers crossed he would be Barcelona colors in the years to come!